Ornamental name plate and the like



Nov. 21, 1939. F. J. BROWN ORNAMENTAL NAME PLATE AND THE kLIKE Filed Aug. lO, 1939 Patented Nov. 21, 1939 2,181,044 o V ORNAMENTAL NAMEPLATE AND THE LIKE- Frank J. Brown, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Bastian Brothers Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation ofNew York 'Application Augustin, 1939, serial Nc. 289,481

2 Claims."v (.Cl. 40-135) The present invention relates generally to ornamental name plates and the like, more especially those primarily used for advertising purposes, and has for its object the provision ofA means whereby a simple printed and colored Celluloid cover `may be so utilized in cooperation with an ornamentally surfaced back plate as to'present the general appearance of an expensive enameled article and whereby it will `further appear in three dis- Io' tinguishing colors although only two such colors have been actually printed on the cover itself.

An enameled name plate where one is used, requires an expensively prepared foundation or back plate, especially where what is known as ar portions of the Celluloid left transparent, cooperate with an oma-mentally surfaced background, which the Celluloid coveringprotects, to give the 304 general effect and pleasing appearance of enamel,

the transparent portions exposing to view the natural color of the back plate whereby it will thus add the color of the latter to the imprinted colors of the Celluloid. o

In thus producing the ornamental effect and pleasing appearance of an enameled article at a fraction of the cost of actual enamel, the invention. greatly enlarges the field of use of such enameled name plates, since the Celluloid cover- 40 ing is, among other things, effective protection against discoloring effects of acidulous uid, the printing being of course, placed upon the inner or rear surface of the Celluloid next to the back plate which is protects.

i5 With the above in mind further and more specic objects of the present invention, as well as the resulting advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description in detail thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates the best mode so far devised for carrying the invention into practical use, and which forms a part of this specication.

In the drawing:

Cil

Fig. l is al front viewillu-stratinga name plate,

button, or the like, embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken there,-y

through substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig, 1, f

and v Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the backI platev and the Celluloid covering in detached relation.

Referring now to these gures, the name platev of the present invention, simulating, when considered as a whole, the appearance of cloisonn enamel,v essentially comprises a backplate I and a Celluloid covering Il, the latter of which. is provided upon its rear or inner face, that is, the face which is placed against the back yplate I0, withcoloring matter I2 printed or otherwise `placed thereon to form a substantial portion of the name plate design which is usuallythe background and is so shown in the present illustration. It is important that this major portion of the name plate design, usually the background, be of a translucent color for a purpose to be presently described in addition to the contrast it affords with respect to certain minor portions of the design as orinstance the letters I3 in the present instance, which are printed upon the coloring matter.

It` will further be noted that portions atleast of the minor features of the design, in the present instancefthe letters I3, will be separated or. set oiffrom the major portion or backgroundv I2. by leaving parts of the Celluloid unprinted or transparent, these transparent portions in the present instance being shown as completely bordering the letters I3, as indicated at I4.

The fro-nt or obverse face of the back plate I0, which latter is of metal, presents a brilliant surface, for instance of the natural color of the metal itself, and is suitably ornamented to present a design in the metal, as` by etching,

stamping, engine turning, or otherwise, preferably to present a series of lines I5 whichvmay radiate from the center to the peripheral edge of the plate as shown.

Thus when the Celluloid cover II isplaced against the plate, there is at once set up a contrast between three colors, first, the opaque color of the letters I3, second, the color of the back plate through the transparent portions I4, and third, the color of the major portion of the design or background I2, which contrast in itself presents a pleasing appearance of the three colors where but two colors have been actually imprinted upon the Celluloid.

In addition to the above, however, the design I same inner surface'of the Celluloid with opaque ing of the ornamental back plate whose brilliant ornamental surface appears through the translucent printed portion I2 of the Celluloid in subdued or dimmed color while through the transparent portions I4 the brilliant surface of the back plate appears in its natural color and undimmed brilliance.

The whole article, it will be obvious from the foregoing, simulates to a remarkable degree the appearance of expensive cloisonn enamel, the opaque letters I3 giving the appearance of one color of enamel lling outlined letters on the back plate, the outlines of which, usually in metal are represented by the transparent portions or borders I4, and the contrasting colored enamel being represented by the translucent background I3 through which the brilliant ruled or linedl surface of the back plate shows in a subdued or dimmed manner, the lines of this surface simulating the lines of metal between sections of enamel in cloisonn enamel work.

The completion of the name plate for use as such, depends materially upon the particular use to which it is to be put. If used simply as a badge or button, the peripheral edge of the Celluloid covering II maybe pressed and rearwardly turned or flanged with the peripheral edge of the back plate I I, as seen at I6 in Fig. 2, and in this event the back plate Ill itself must be of suflicient thickness and strength to maintain its pressed form so as to provide for the use of an ordinary button pin fastener whose circularly curved portion may be seated Within the flanged edge I6.

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 2, where the name plate is to be used for instance with beer taps and the like, a back plate I of lighter metal may be employed and its peripheral edge portion with the peripheral edge portion of the Celluloid covering may be flanged or bent around the periphery of a supporting disk I'I having centrally and rearwardly outstanding members, such as I8, providing for its; connection with taps and the like. Instead of rearwardly projecting engaging members such as I8, the disk I'I may, of course, have expanding pins and the like adapting the name plate as a whole for use with various articles of commerce, as for instance refrigerators, it being obvious that in all of such uses the protective qualities of the Celluloid covering are important from the standpoint of durability as proof against acids, while the pleasing appearance of the name plate as a whole in its simulation of cloisonn enamel is of greatest consideration in such materially reduced `cost as compared to the real enamel itself.

What is claimed is:

1. A name plate and the like comprising a metallic back plate having a brilliant lined surface and thereby presenting an ornamental appearance in and upon said surface, and a Celluloid covering therefor having its inner face disposed against said back plate surface provided with translucent coloring matter forming -fga background through which the brilliant surface and lines of the back plate are seen in the color of said background and opaque matter of a distinguishing color forming a symbol within said background and obscuring the underlying portions of the back plate, a portion at least of the said Celluloid covering being transparent between the opaquely covered symbol and the translucent background, the back plate as viewed through the transparent portion of the Celluloid covering presenting a distinguishing color as compared to both the symbol and the background to thus present with the opaque coloring matter and translucent coloring matter a three color appearance simulating cloisonn enamel.

2. A name plate and the like comprising a metallic back plate having a brilliant and lined obverse face and thereby presenting an ornamental appearance, and a protective Celluloid covering thereon having its inner or reverse face provided with translucent coloring matter of a character through which the ornamental appearance of the brilliant back plate appears in dimmed color, said covering having opaque coloring matter also on its said inner face within the translucent background forming a symbol of distinguishing color obscuring the underlying portion of the back plate and also having a transparent area bordering at least a portion of the opaque symbol and between the latter and the translucent background through which area the ornamental surface of the back plate appears in undimmed brilliance, whereby to thus present a three color appearance in imitation of an enameled name plate.

FRANK J. BROWN. 

